Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-04-20
q Serial Stury.
RETRIBUTI0N
By "THE DUCHESS. !"

BY "THE DUCHESS"
CHAPTER XXI.
Grant Boyle, his face absolutely iyid,
comes straight into the center Of the
room. The glsring chandelier betrays the
deadly pallor of his face, the cold gleam
In his eyes. He has had sufficient time.
during the troubled words that passed
between his mother and Nadine, to under
stand that the game has been played out
and lost. He might still deny, give oath on
oath, put all to the touc !, and defy actual
discovery; but to what ends Who would
believe him innocent among those with
whom he cares to associate, even should
the law absolve him. In the future the
fate Of the outcast, the 1eper, should be his.
She would be the chief witness for the
prosecutions--she, with her soft voice, her
pure eyesl What chance would he have
against her, even though judge and jury
acQuit him! His world would believe in
her. And 1t Is this same voice that has
betrayed him-the dearest voice on earth
to him!
He goes slowly up to the girl who has
ruined him and lays his hand upon her
shoulder. For the moment it seems he
has forgotten that there is any one in the
world but her.
"YouLyou here'' he says.
There is immeasurable surprise but no
anger in his tone; his glance dwells upon
her Ingeringly, tenderly as ever. He Is
lost in one of the old dreams. 1t is his
last.
"Tell them, !" entreats Nadine eagerly.
"They have been imagining dreadful
things. / told them you were returning
to England soon, but did not know it
would be tonight. Paul, let them know
at once-at onceAhow those stones came
into your possession.
In her extreme anxiety, she lays her
hand upon his arm. Duran makes move
ment toward her, but Massareenc, by
e. gesture, stops him.
''You still believe in me, them" says
Boyle, in curious tone. "You have had
faith all through? You have never under
stoods''
II do not understand now," cries the
girl nervously. "Oh what is this!" She
shrinks from him and presses her hand
against her heart. "Why do you not
speak,n she cries again affrightedly.
Zone word will reassure me. Yet you
are silent. How pale you are What hor-
rible thing am to learn? Lady Valworth
has called you her son. Oh surely that
is''-
madness on the part of Lady VAL
worth, /" interruts he, with q short laugh.
"To disown me would have been her wiser
plan"
"What is this you say?'' cries Nadine,
in q low voice, faint, Mortified. "You do
not deny that you are Grant Boyle?"
emo"
"You are not, then, Paul Annerley9"
'That's true."
Nadine staggers back from him, and
presses her hands to her forehead as If in
pain.
: Sand what of this, sirs" demands Sir
Thomas, coming forward.
He has lost all his pompousness, his
magisterial air has deserted him. Ho looks
old, distressed, shocked. Every now and
then he glances back to where his wife is
sitting, with her arms thrown upon the
table near her and her head lying hum,
bled upon them. He has taken up tho
sapphire pendant, and holds 1t out to
Grant, Boyle upon shaking palm.
o"You-did you give this to Miss
Roche!'
ssMiss Roche has said So"
The tone Is contemptuous; the glance
that accompanies it rather more so.
"And-Lady Valworth's diamond cross
that this young lady wore last night?"
Sir Thomas voice is even more tremu-
lous now He would gladly have spared
''my lady" (as he always fondly calls her)
this; but it is better the truth should be
at once known, if possible.
81 gave that also to Miss Roche"
There is pause, startling because Of
the intensity of the silence that masks it.
1t is broken at last by Grant,. He bursts
into laughter-light, reckless, defiant.
"The game is up" he says. "Miss
Roche has forged the first link of the
chain of evidence against me; the rest
should be easily made. Shall save you
all trouble by giving you the exact facts
gratis took the diamonds. took also
the sapphires. Ha! my pretty cousin!'
turning his handsome head to where Mil
Hcent Is standing, and laughing gayly.
Gas often as you acted with me in private
theatricals, you little guessed how well
could sustain part, even difficult one,
fl threw my whole will into it. must
apologize to you for that handkerchief,
by the way cou.1 have wished it were
finer one; but an actor must be perfect
even in the minor details, and burglar
should not be acquainted with cambric."
Here Massareene makes dash forward,
but is restrained by Duran.
''Let us hear him out" entreats the lat
ter wisely.
"Don't waste your superhuous energy
on me, Massareene," says Boyle, lightly.
"I'm not good enough"
"Keep it And after all am hardly
rival My charming cousin cared for me
as cared for her. had no intention
whatsoever of depriving you of her.
'You are damned scoundrel' says
Massareene, fiinging off Duran, and adj
vancing to Boyle, his face white with rage.
Beyond doubt" replies the other, with
shrug
"Stand back, Gerald. Why should you
handy words with such as him"' says Miss
Grey, in cold, naughty tone. A step
places her between the two men.
$50, sir" she says, addressing Grant,,
"while holding openly to your engagement
with me, and declaring it loudly to the
world, you were carrying on an intrigue
under false name-of which this girl
was to be the victimr'
"Far from it," replies her cousin coolly.
"You were to be the victim! had no
intention whatsoever of marrying you.
had-I have-every intention of marrying
Miss Roche!"
Nadine starts violently.
Quick to see and judge, he notices her
emotioa, and turns to her.
'I have your PROMISE" he goes on in a
low tone full of meaning; then again let's
his glance fall upon Sir Thomas.
'Well, how is it to be?" he asked reck-
lessly. "On which count am to be first
arraigned? The diamonds? Is my mother
to be the first to cast stone? 1t is only
just! Seniores priores."
Lady Valworth lifts her head from her
arms and looks at him. Those who see
her face never afterward forget how it
was then. The agony, the despair, the
deadly cold of it, all burn themselves into
the memory!
'Oh, Grant! Grant! Granit!"
The mournful cry rises and rings
through the room. 1t is cry from a
broken heart!